Light-dimmer.



J. A. THOMPSON.

LIGHT DIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.26. 1914.

LEWAMQ PatentedSeptl l, 1915.

JOHN A. THOMPSON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

I IGHT-DIMMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,367.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN A. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Des Moines, county of Polk, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Light-Dimmers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means, simple, strong, durable and inexpensive, for dimming automobile lights and the like.

A further object. is to provide such a means to be operated by the driver without the necessity of leaving his seat. 1

A further object. is to produce the desired efl'ect without altering the size of the flame thus making it unnecessary to lose the time incident to the proper adjustment of the gas flow in gas lamps.

My invention consists of certain details of construction hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I shows a front elevation view of agas lamp fitted out with my device and Fig. II shows a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. I.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the reference numeral 10 is used to indicate the other endof the lever 14 is secured a,

small wire cable 16 or the like, which eX- tends downwardly and rearwardly through the lamp to a convenient connectio'n near the drivers seat. I show no particular connection for the'said wire 16, my intention being to utilize any connection'which will secure the wire after it has been pulled rearwardly and will also provide means for retaining it in its normal position the wire being projected forwardly to such extent as to permit the disk 15 to assume its downward position, as shown by the dotted lines in the drawing. By construction, the arm 13 and lever 14 are so arranged that a down Ward movement of the lever 14: (caused by pulling the wire16) will elevate the rear portion thereof throwing the disk 15 into position immediately behind the flame and completely cutting off the rays from contact with the reflector 12. It is obvious that thereafter the light will not have the great intenseness caused by the reflector. The wire is secured in proper position as long as this dimming eifect is desired. \Vhen the bright penetrating light is again desired the wire is released and the lever 14 (weighted by the disk and its length from the fulcrum to the rear extremity) assumes its normal position shown in the dotted lines.

Any other means may be employed, with an equal degree of success, for causing the disk to movedownward to its normal position, and I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the means shown, my object being accomplished when I provide for a downward position for the disk which will remove it as an obstruction between the flame and the reflector and an upward position for the reflector which will cause it to constitute such obstruction. My device may also be applied to electric lamps, and others, with equal success and it is my purpose to so use it.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A light dimmer, including an obstruction, a fixed member outstanding at an angle to the axis of a burner tube. a member fulcrumed upon said outstanding fixed member, with its longer arm bearing said obstruction, and means attached to theshorter arm of said fulcrumed member for actuating the same, which obstruction is arranged to be brought intermediate the light and its reflector by exerting a pulling action upon said actuating. means.

2. A light dimmer, including a fixed arm outstanding at an angle to the axis of a burner tube, a member fulcrumed upon said outstanding arm, said fulcrumed member having a disk at the end of its longer arm, and a flexible member attached to the shorter arm of said fulcrumed member for moving said disk to a point intermediate the light and its reflector.

J. A. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

F. J. Kno m, ZELL G. Ron.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, I). G. 

